


The Skyscraper School (IN REVISION RN PLS DON'T READ IT)

by hopemaeda



Category: Danganronpa
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety Attacks, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Dangan Ronpa - Freeform, Death, Emetophobia, F/F, F/M, Killing, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Murder, My OCs, Other, Poisoning, Post DR3, Post-Canon, School Life of Mutual Killing, danganronpa - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 12:49:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10944849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopemaeda/pseuds/hopemaeda
Summary: 16 high school students are trapped inside Hope’s Peak Academy.  They have been given the orders to kill each other if they wish to leave.What else did you think was gonna happen?After the events of Danganronpa 3 took place, Makoto Naegi and co. reopened the infamous Hope's Peak Academy.  The school ran smoothly for years, but the 86th Class, who will change all of that, is in for a surprise.Kazuki Ishikawa's life will never be the same once he steps through the front door of the building on his first day at Hope's Peak Academy.





	1. Say Hello Class 86th of Hope's Peak Academy (INTRODUCTION)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TascaOrWhatever](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TascaOrWhatever/gifts).



> When I was still writing on Wattpad 2 or 3 years ago, I wrote a danganronpa fan-story featuring my danganronpa OCs, a couple regular OCs that I thrust into the situation, and even one OC that belongs to a friend; it was called Today Isn't Monday. Now, I'm rewriting the story with a tweak to the plot and characters. 
> 
> @TascaOrWhatever inspired me to rewrite this story, because she never did stop loving it (even though my writing was shit back then). So, this story is a gift for her!! Thanks for putting up with me girl <3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Background about the characters because who wants to explain 16 characters in vivid detail in the first chapter of their story? Seriously.
> 
> You can actually /see/ what they look like here:  
> https://givemerockruffs.tumblr.com/post/165523407210/last-batch-of-dr-character-sprite-edits-3c-aside  
> https://givemerockruffs.tumblr.com/post/165450910695/made-some-sprite-edits-for-some-of-my-danganronpa
> 
> the names of each character is listed. ^
> 
> Comet: https://givemerockruffs.tumblr.com/post/159205604915/comet-in-c3-oh-my-god / https://givemerockruffs.tumblr.com/post/165559385340/i-doodled-my-oc-comet-with-one-of-those-round
> 
> Tasca: http://regulus-black.tumblr.com/post/158823671717/new-updated-reference-sheet-for-tasca-2017

**PRE-INTRODUCTION**

 

Introduction to Characters

 

Mai Hayashi -- SHSL Ballerina (likes her talent)

•Medium height, teal eyes, brunette hair (back length) tied in a ponytail, poofy-skirted yellow-orange dress w/ a pale yellow heart in the center, white mary janes, yellow knee socks, medium complexion, skinny  
•Easily startled, gentle, good listener, participates a lot, well-liked. She’s very approachable and fairly sweet; easy to get along with!

 

  
Tasca Fliyam -- SHSL Cartoonist (foreign exchange student) (likes her talent)

•Short, blue eyes, blonde hair (backside length), black hoodie w/ blue tassels(?), dark blue jeans, black & white sneakers, fair complexion, thin

•Bold, oblivious, stubborn, protective, analytical. She tries to take charge of situations a lot, but she's the type of person you just have to get used to to see their true colors.  She's a huge nerd.

 

Comet(Chiyo) Kurosawa -- SHSL ???

  
•Tall, dark blue eyes, orange hair (back length), silver dress shirt & black tie, dark gray dress pants, dark blue converse, medium complexion, lean  
•Bossy, isolated, fairly unfriendly. She likes to keep to herself and doesn’t let anyone get too close to her (she's never told us her talent), but she isn't really a bad person and actually has a soft side.  She can be pretty intimidating, though. 

 

  
Hikaru Nakagawa -- SHSL Secretary (feels indifferent about her talent)

  
•Short, violet eyes, pale pink hair (back length, hot pink bow in hair, silver streaks on bangs), defined eyebrows, dark blue t-shirt w/ a cat face in the middle, knee-length jean shorts, pink painted nails, high-heeled black boots, tan complexion, chubby  
•Extroverted, happy, inclusive, likeable, loud. She is very kind and wants to be friends with just about everybody. Though, she isn't very good with social interaction...but she tries.

 

  
Koharu Akiyama -- SHSL Dance Teacher (likes her talent)

  
•Medium height, blue eyes, dark blue hair in double pony tails, thin eyebrows, purple t-shirt with frilled sleeves, dark gray skirt (poofy), dark brown dress shoes, pink watch, blue hair ties, fair complexion, curvy  
•Kind and good hearted, easily offended, doesn’t really enjoy the company of the other girls, sore loser, tries her best. Her emotions tend to rule her, and she's pretty wary of other girls, but she's actually quite nice if you're nice to her.

 

  
Etsuko Ikeda -- SHSL Carpenter (likes her talent)

  
•Tall, straight silver hair (back length), blue eyeliner (smudged), green eyes, overalls, white shirt, black boots, medium complexion, average weight  
•Independent, smart/witty, natural leader, mom friend, a bit of a know-it-all. She's pretty manly for a girl, not like that matters...she’s good at taking charge and has an ability to control panicky situations quite well. She's good at calming people down with logical explanations/propositions.

 

 

Megumi Oshiro -- SHSL Bombshell (hates her talent)

  
•Medium height, white hair (shoulder blade length), lots of mascara, brown eyes, white shorts, dark red t-shirt (typically hangs off her shoulder a bit) w/ the words “It’s You, Not Me” on it, red clogs, medium complexion, thin & curvy  
•Clingy, loving/nurturing, excitable, occasionally sassy, patient. She looks like she’d be really flirtatious and sexual, but she’s really not. She considers her talent a curse and just wants to be liked for who she is; she just wants friends.

 

  
Kazuki Ishikawa -- SHSL Veterinarian (likes his talent)

  
•Tall, Brown eyes, dark gray hair (neck length), dark green dress shirt w/ faint white spots (half sleeve), black dress pants and a belt, wrist watch, dark gray sneakers, warm complexion, lean  
•Anxious (always jumping to conclusions/worst-case scenarios), cordial, wants to be liked, not very good at socializing. Kazuki really does try his hardest to make friends, but some understand him more than others.

 

  
Yori Sato -- SHSL Actor (likes his talent)

•Tall, black hair (shoulder length), orange eyes, gray trench coat, white dress shirt, black dress pants, dark brown dress shoes, pale complexion, well-built/broad chested  
•Flamboyant, can't sit still/likes to be moving constantly, easy-going, free-spirited, uncaring, chill, positive attitude/optimistic, almost a bit reckless for that matter.

 

  
Akira Miyamoto -- SHSL Gardener (likes his talent)

  
•Short, pale green hair (neck length), dark green eyes, half-white half-blue tank top, khaki shorts, brown gloves w/ free fingers, white flip-flops, tan complexion, thin

•Sad a lot of the time, crybaby, always excited to talk about gardening/flowers, low self-esteem, antisocial, easily hurt (physically)/delicate. He's kind of hard to talk to, but it's mainly because he thinks everyone hates him and saying anything that can be considered scary will make him cry.

 

  
Arata Miyamoto -- SHSL Baker (likes his talent)

  
•Short, pale blue hair (neck length), dark blue eyes, white t-shirt, gray skinny jeans, blue apron, black and white sneakers, fair complexion, lean  
•Patient (only with his brother, he's short with everyone else), defensive (of his brother), cheery, willing to help, not shy, confident. If anyone so much as looks at his brother the wrong way, he's on them in seconds.  Once you get to know him, he’s really funny and quite likable (as long as you don't insult his brother).

 

  
Rokuru Takenaka -- SHSL Acrobat (dislikes his talent)

  
•Medium height, gray eyes, pale blue hair (shoulder length), black & white suit, dress pants, dark brown dress shoes, dark complexion, thin  
•Can be grumpy, not very approachable; an actual softie, loves animals, overshares, concerned for others, selfless. He puts on a persona that steers people away from him, but once you talk to him, it’s very easy to get him to open up and even overshare.

 

  
Nori Suzuki -- SHSL Runner (likes his talent)  
•Medium height, gray hair (neck length), yellow eyes, yellow v-neck w/ a wavy green pattern, white jean shorts, gray slip-ons (shoes), medium complexion, thin

•Pessimistic, anxious (at times), fairly friendly, passionate, social, dense, a bit wimpy, loud/extroverted.  He paces a lot; clearly has some form of anxiety.  He seems like an overall good guy.

 

  
Naoku Motu -- SHSL Bookworm (doesn’t consider his talent a talent)

•Short, dark purple hair (neck length), black and purple hoodie (the sleeves are too long on him), black sweatpants, black boots, fair complexion, thin

•Quiet, keeps to himself, rude, not easily embarrassed but very easily annoyed, all in all kind of strange.  He's not really a likable person, but he doesn't seem...bad, at least.  He's just a little standoffish, in a way. 

 

 

Hayate Yoshida -- SHSL Park Ranger (likes his talent)

•Tall, orange/reddish hair, brown eyes, brown vest, white undershirt, dark brown dress pants, white flats, well-built

•Involved, smart, quick-witted, composed, professional, to the point.  He'd make a good leader -- it's like he's prepared for any situation and keeping others calm is something he's really good at.

 

 

Takara Koneko -- SHSL Violinist (likes his talent)

•Short, brown hair (fairly short, but it's always in a small ponytail so I guess it just looks short), pink eyes, strapless blue top (it hangs off his shoulders), pale blue shorts (down to his knees), blue sneakers, fair complexion, lean

•Calm, kind, content, uninvolved, disconnected.  He hums to himself a lot. He seems like he'd be totally okay with dying. He always seems kind of spaced-out, but there are times he can be caught very frazzled. 

 


	2. Anxiety Attacks (PROLOGUE)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For a moment, he debated turning and going home as he discovered just how little cars were in the lot. _You know what? Whatever,_ he thought. _If it's not the right day, it doesn't matter. I at least have to find out._

     It was a good start to a day.

    Kazuki Ishikawa's mother told him time and time again: "First year is always hard, but you will get through it!  Soon, you’ll have made tons of friends and tons of good memories!" He had high hopes for all that. As he walked along the side of the road on the way to school, he held his head high with newfound confidence and absolutely no anxiety. That felt amazing, yet very foreign.

    When he made it to the parking lot of Hope's Peak Academy (the school was an enormous building, mostly in terms of height; pictures of it had not prepared him for the real thing), his confidence wavered slightly, if only for a moment. Then, he straightened and gripped the straps of his backpack a little tighter and headed for the entrance. The first thing Kazuki noticed upon looking around the parking lot was that there were a lot less cars than he would expect to be in the parking lot of a building with so many students and staff.  He didn't have the wrong day, did he? What if he tried to go inside but the doors were locked? He'd have the rest of the day, or maybe even more than a day, to worry about the outcome of the actual first day.

    For a moment, he debated turning and going home as he discovered just how little cars were in the lot.  _ You know what? Whatever _ , he thought.  _ If it's not the right day, it doesn't matter. I at least have to find out. _

    Kazuki stepped up to the entrance and reached out, gripping the metal handle of one of the doors. He took a deep breath, then pushed it down and to his slight surprise, it opened. He pushed it the rest of the way and entered the building.  However, as he did, he felt a wave of dizziness and nausea wash over him. Gasping, Kazuki fell to the ground. He succumbed to blackness within seconds.

    When he woke, he was inside the school, sitting against the front doors. He groaned as his eyes slowly opened, reaching up to grip his head.  Slowly, the dizziness subsided and he stood up.

_ Why did I black out? _  Kazuki thought, a bit frantically.   _ I wasn’t even that anxious.  Where is everyone? _  He looked around suddenly, forgetting his blackout temporarily.  It was quiet for the first day of school, and there was no one in sight. He glanced down at the watch on his wrist.  _ 7:28. I’m right on time _ . This didn't make any sense. Maybe his watch was wrong. He stepped further inside, glancing to his left -- where the main office window was -- and looking to the clock above the window.  _ 7:29 _ . Something weird was going on. Kazuki approached the window, his fingers tapping the "windowsill".

    "Um. Hello?" He was growing anxious; it didn't look like anyone was inside the office. He couldn't see anyone at first glance. The veterinarian’s eyes darted around. He guessed he really did have the day wrong. How could he have screwed up so badly? If he really did, though, then why was the door unlocked like that? Nothing seemed to add up. "Is anyone here?" He called. There were  _ some _ cars in the lot, he recalled; there were definitely people here -- he just didn't know where. If he found someone, at least they could probably tell him exactly what the problem was, or if he really didn't have the right day.

    Kazuki walked further into the school, pushing past another set of doors and into the first hallway. The vet made a left immediately, heading through the door to the main office. Maybe there was someone in the back room (which was connected to said office). As the door shut behind him, he froze at what he saw. Blood, splattered on the ground. It was everywhere. He instantly averted his gaze to the ceiling. Kazuki felt his heart begin to pound and breathing speed up, his mouth going totally dry and head starting to hurt. He pushed back up against the door, hand gripping the doorknob as he attempted to steady his breathing. Why was there so much blood? Why was there blood at all? Kazuki succeeded in returning his breathing to normal, but he couldn't stop his stomach from turning inside out. He threw up into the nearest trash can in the room. He was still shaking when he stood up fully again. The vet glanced back at the blood only for a moment, heart rate picking up again. Whose blood was it? The fact that that question suddenly popped into his head was terrifying. Kazuki took a cautious step towards the blood, then another, then a few more; he maneuvered around it the best that he could until stepping in it was unavoidable. When he did step in it, he practically whimpered, but still didn't look down at it. He was close to the other side of the office when he saw an arm -- an arm, sticking out from behind a filing cabinet. Kazuki held his breath. He was momentarily afraid that his heart would burst out of his chest. The vet paused in front of said filing cabinet. Hesitantly, he glanced over it to get a look at just whose...body was there. His heart stopped at what he saw. It was like time froze completely. Makoto Naegi -- the school Headmaster -- and Kyoko Kirigiri -- the second Headmaster -- were laying there; motionless, bloody, beaten. He had seen countless pictures of them before, he knew it was them.  His parents, as well as himself, had met them once before -- when Kazuki was first accepted to Hope’s Peak. The boy felt lightheaded looking at them. Kirigiri was face down, while Naegi's head was turned to the side. Kazuki could see the pure, undiluted terror in his lifeless eyes. He let out a scream once his brain processed what he'd seen. He screamed and screamed and then stumbled back and away from the bodies and back towards the door.

     His shaking hands unsteadily gripped the doorknob but he was unable to open it. Kazuki, facing the door, had to wait for his arms to stop shaking so horribly before he could open it. He must've stood there for at least 3 minutes before he was able to do that. When he could, he thrust the door open and almost fell in the process. He slammed the door behind him and sunk to the floor. It was taking everything he had not to hyperventilate. What the hell was going on? And why was it happening to him? He burst into tears moments after he'd calmed down again.

    Struggling to his feet, he headed for the front entrance. He was horrified to find that the door would not open. "What?" The vet gasped, pulling on the handles. "What?  _ What _ ?! Why won't it open?!  _ Open _ !" He cried.  As he glanced around the area, the vet noticed, with growing dread, that the windows seemed to be sealed shut. They all had some sort of metal covering over them.  _ What the fuck is going on?! _ He pulled frantically at the door handles again, putting all of his might into it.

    "It's no use." Kazuki went rigid, tears stopping instantly. He whipped around, pressing his back against the door. There was another boy looking around Kazuki’s age standing a safe distance away from him.  His hair was a pale blue shade, his eyes gray. He wore a simple suit. Who was he, and what was he doing there? Kazuki's heart sped up.  _ Is he the one behind this? Is he going to kill me, too?! _

    "Who are you?  What are you doing here?" Kazuki choked, barely getting the words out. "Headmasters Naegi and--and Kirigiri, they--they're--what happened to them?!" 

    "Hey, hey, calm down. You seriously look like you're going to pass out." The other boy stepped closer to him, arms out in front of him, as if offering a hug. Kazuki pressed further against the door.

    "I'm not going to hurt you, man, if that's what you're thinking. I know you must be, like, crazy freaked out -- we all are -- but trust me on this one. I know about the Principal and Vice Principal." Kazuki did not relax. "Come with me. You’re another First Year, right?  The rest of us are in the gym. We're not sure if it's safe in the halls. Did you pass out?"

    "How did you know those things?”  Kazuki demanded, anxiety rising further, but then he stilled.  “Are you...a classmate of mine?”

    “Yep,” the boy replied.  “I’m Takenaka Takenaka, the Ultimate Acrobat.  You are?”

    “Kazuki Ishikawa.”  He only felt a little calmer.  I’m the Ultimate Veterinarian.”

    “Ok, Ishikawa-kun,”  Takenaka began. “Please come with me.  We can talk more when we’re in the gym.”

    “All the...all the First Year students are here?" The vet furrowed his eyebrows. "Is there anyone else...? What the hell is going on?!" He felt like he was about to cry again.

    "Just come with me. We don't really know what's happening; we just know that we're trapped in here and there's dead teachers, like, everywhere."

    "Are you serious?" Kazuki felt nauseous again, his head spinning. "Oh my God..."

    Takanaka reached out and took his arm. "Hey, are you okay?" He sounded genuinely worried. "You're really pale...okay, just come with me; we'll walk slowly, but we have to get away from here, seriously. It seems to be safe in the gym, and that's where everyone is." He pulled Kazuki forward gently, moving his hand to the vet's upper back as they headed straight down the hall and towards the gym.

    "Oh my God, oh my God..." Kazuki kept muttering; his heart was beating so hard it hurt, his throat felt like it was closing on and off... He was on the verge of an anxiety attack, if not having one already.  His body was on autopilot, following the other blindly.

    "Hey, deep breaths," Takenaka said. "I'm sure it'll be fine, the police will come sooner or later. I say we're out of here in a day."

    Kazuki squeezed his eyes shut, tight, taking a few shaky breaths. "No, it's not fine, we're trapped in here, and the principal and vice principal are dead, and you said there's other teachers that are dead, too; we're going to die in here! Someone wants to kill us!" He stopped in his tracks, and Takenaka halted beside him. "I can't--I just can't--!"

    "Calm down!" Takenaka cried. "I know it's really hard to try, I'm sorry, just--" he seemed momentarily panicked, completely unsure of what to do. "Listen, the rest of us have been here awhile already, and nothing's happened. The police will come. The police will come; it's going to be fine!"

    The vet just shook his head, hands on either side of his face. "No, no it's not, oh my God--"

    "Alright, we have to keep going. We're almost at the gym, and then you can break down, okay? I just seriously don't want you or me getting hurt out here, God forbid there's something lurking." Kazuki whimpered at that, fingers tangling in his hair. Takenaka grabbed the other's arm and yanked him along to the gym.

     The acrobat slammed one of the double doors open when they reached it. Everyone in the room turned to them instantly, looking terrified. They were all scattered about, no big group in one particular spot.  (Probably) When they realized it was only Takenaka who had entered, they relaxed. Several came up to them. A girl with long brown hair in a puffy yellow dress, another girl with pink hair in a blue cat shirt, a girl with silver hair in overalls, a boy with gray hair with a yellow and green shirt on, and what appeared to be two twin boys, one with blue hair in a dark blue apron and one with green hair in a white tank-top, approached immediately. Kazuki studied them.

    "Takenaka-kun, who did you find?" The gray-haired boy spoke first, eyeing Kazuki. "Is he another First Year?"

    "Is he okay?" The green-haired boy in the tank top looked more worried than anything and he stepped forward, inspecting the vet.

    Ikeda came beside the baker. "He's not hurt, is he?"

    “This is Kazuki Ishikawa, the Ultimate Veterinarian.  He’s another First Year, yeah. He's okay, just really scared," Takenaka answered for him, to which Kazuki was eternally grateful.

    "With good reason." Suzuki shivered. More of the kids approached the small crowd, until everyone was in one spot. Their voices bellowed in the huge, open room.

    "Did you find anything else out, Takenaka-kun?"

    "How did Kazuki even get in?"    

    "Yeah, isn't the door locked?"

    "Maybe it's only locked from the inside."

    “Was he unconscious, too?”

    Kazuki's head spun as everyone began to talk, and he went back to gripping it with his eyes shut, as if he could block it all out like that somehow. He stood like that until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

    "Hey." The vet opened his eyes to see the brown-haired girl in the poofy dress standing in front of him, staring at him with concern in her eyes. Everyone was looking at him like that today. "You don't look so good. Wanna sit down?" Kazuki merely nodded, throat feeling too tight for him to speak. The girl smiled warmly at him, took him by the wrist and led him to the bleachers off to the side of the gym. Kazuki carefully sat down, afraid he'd be sick if he moved too quickly. The girl sat beside him.

    “I’m Mai Hayashi,” she told him.  “I’m the Ultimate Ballerina.”

    Kazuki nodded.

    "Everyone's really scared, too, you know. They all just have different ways of showing it…”  Hayashi looked down at her feet. “We've been here for quite a bit of time, now."

    There was a pause of silence in which Kazuki took a couple deep breaths before speaking. His throat had let up a bit. "So it's just this class?  Just the First Years?" His voice sounded hoarse. "It's just us here?"

    "As far as we know," Hayashi replied, shuffling her feet on the shiny gym floor. "This is a pretty big school. There could be people in the upper levels. But it seems to be empty down here, and anyone we have found has been, um...dead, so... I don’t know if anyone is willing to risk going anywhere just yet."  

    The vet swallowed thickly, eyes trained on a spot on the floor. He was completely unmoving, fearing that movement would cause another wave of anxiety to crash into him. "I see."

    "Panicking probably won't do anything," Hayashi said, clearly as gently as she could manage...if there was even a "gentle" way to say those words.  She took a glance at him; the vet could feel her eyes on him. "Just keep breathing. Relax."

    "'Easier said than done," Kazuki muttered.

    "I know," the ballerina sighed. "I guess -- advice won't help, just do your thing," she added, waving a hand. "Sorry."

    Kazuki didn't say anything in response. His body felt less rigid by then, so he relaxed slightly and put his head in his hands. He felt Hayashi stand up from the bleachers and heard her walk away.  _ This is a nightmare,  _ he thought bitterly.  He sat like that for awhile, gathering his thoughts and struggling between being calm and freaking out. He lost track of time passing somewhere along the way.

    It was during one of his calm moments, luckily, when the screeching sound of a microphone suddenly rang out through the entire gym. Some of the students groaned, some yelled. Kazuki simply moved his hands to cover his ears, clenching his teeth with a grimace.

    "What the fuck was that about?!" Someone (Kazuki opened his eyes and looked up to see it was a tall, wavy-orange-haired girl) yelled particularly loudly.

    An almost childlike, static laugh answered. "Upupupupu!" Kazuki froze in fear once again. "That's no way to talk in school! How inappropriate...Teenagers are so rotten!"

    Talking (more like yelling) broke out among everyone; everyone's voices blended together, so it really just sounded like a mess of gibberish. Kazuki reluctantly looked around the crowd, hands on the sides of his face.

    "What, are you all excited now?" That voice did not sound human, now that Kazuki thought about it. What the hell was happening? "Well, good! You should be!" The boy saw a flash out of the corner of his eye -- towards the stage at the front of the gym. The talking amongst his classmates grew even louder and he stood up quickly, turning to the stage. There, on the podium that stood in the center of it, was what appeared to be a black and white...plush...bear?

    "Happy first day of school, everyone!" ...Did the bear just  _ speak _ ? It punched the air with a paw, too, unless Kazuki was hallucinating. He felt like he was about to pass out, so it was possible that he was. "I'm your new Headmaster, Mr. Monokuma~!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what a short chapter (I'm sorry)
> 
> school ends in 3 days for me. hopefully I'll come through for this story and actually finish it. Let me know what you think of it! Comments are appreciated ❤️


	3. Sleepless Nights (CHAPTER 1: Daily Life)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I finally thought of a perfect motive for your first murder!"

The bear was still laughing when Kazuki came back to himself.

    The room was otherwise silent; everyone seemed too shocked and confused to speak, as was he.  Kazuki glanced frantically in Takenaka's direction. The acrobat was totally pale and Kazuki was sure he saw him sweating.  That didn't exactly ease the boy's nerves. He felt himself inching towards the beginning of another breakdown. In that moment, it was a tall, well-built boy with short, reddish hair and brown eyes who turned to him.  Kazuki remembered him as Hayate Yoshida, the Ultimate Park Ranger, who had introduced himself earlier.

    "We all just need to calm down," Yoshida said matter-of-factly.  "Panicking won't do any good. Deep breaths, Ishikawa-kun."

    How could Kazuki calm down when there was a talking stuffed animal in front of them suggesting they kill each other?  He didn't respond, not trusting his voice enough. Yoshida placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, then glared back at the bear, who still stood atop the podium on the stage.

    "Stop messing with us," he ordered.  "What's really going on here?"

    "I'm a bear of my word!"  It cried, paws held up to its mouth mischievously.  "I would never lie about something so serious!" Yoshida clenched his teeth.  "Anyway!" The bear went on. "One of you all better kill someone soon, or I'll be beary angry!  Upupu~!" No one laughed. "Aww, come on! That was funny!" It sighed. "Ah, whatever! Teenagers... I was serious about the killing thing, though!   _ Dead _ serious!  So you'd better hop to it!"  With that, it hopped behind the podium and vanished.

    Immediately, Yoshida rushed up to it, checking every side.  He turned back to the group after his inspection, looking confused.

    "He's gone," the park ranger said, running a hand through his hair.  Everyone in the room exchanged collective glances, all equally concerned.  Meanwhile, Kazuki was dizzy and his mouth felt totally dry.

    "Wh-what the hell is going on?"  He broke the silence after a moment.

    "Yeah!"  One of the twins -- the blue-haired one -- put in, helpfully.  "This is BS! Who's pulling a prank on us? What kind of first day--"

    "Well, Hope's Peak is infamous for being the cause of the Biggest, Most Awful Event in Human History," someone said from the corner of the gym.  Kazuki turned to look at them, seeing a boy in a black hoodie, his curly purple hair sticking out of it. He was looking at the ground grimly, his blue eyes clouded over.  The pink-haired girl in the cat shirt was near him, and she turned to look at him as though she was personally offended by his words.

    "Be quiet," The silver-haired girl in overalls yelled from the opposite side of the room.  "No one talks about that anymore. That's total, complete history."

    "Really?  You're sure?"  The purple-haired boy raised a skeptical eyebrow at her.  "'Cause I've read about it, and that bear looks awful like the one in the--"

    "Stop it!"  The gray-haired boy in the yellow and green shirt suddenly squealed.  "It's creeping me out!"

    "Yes, that's enough,"  The orange-haired girl snapped.  Kazuki gripped the side of his head with a hand.  "We're not talking about this. We'll make ourselves nuts.  Just...we shouldn't focus on things like that. Let's focus on finding a way to get out of here, instead."

    "We should split into groups and look around,"  Takenaka suggested softly from beside a white-haired girl with a red shirt.  "It'd be safer to explore that way."

    "Good idea!"  The gray haired boy yelled.  "I don't wanna be alone! I'll go with Ishikawa-kun!"

    Kazuki wasn't going anywhere.  "No," he said shakily. "I-I don't want to go anywhere."

    "We have to find a way out of here," Takenaka reminded the vet, turning to him.  "We've all gotta look around. We'll cover the most ground that way. The ground floor's pretty big; you know that..."

    "Alright, let me settle this."  Yoshida spoke up at last. His eyes scanned the room for a moment.  "Ishikawa-kun, go with Suzuki-kun to find the cafeteria. Oshiro-san and Koneko-kun--” He looked to the white-haired girl and a boy wearing a blue off-the-shoulders shirt. “--go look for the media room.  Nakagawa-san..." He paired off everyone else; Nakagawa (the girl with pink hair wearing a cat shirt) and Ikeda (the silver-haired girl in overalls), Takenaka and Motu (the purple-haired boy), Comet (the orange-haired girl) and Tasca (a blonde girl in a black hoodie), the Miyamoto Twins (the blue-haired and green-haired boys), Hayashi and Akiyama (a purple-haired girl in a skirt).  He sent himself with Sato (a black-haired boy in a gray trench coat).

    Suzuki grabbed Kazuki's hand when he reached his side.  "I’m creeped out," he mumbled, squeezing. "You don't mind, right?"

    "N...No...?"  Kazuki replied hesitantly.  “I...I guess not.” It was a bit weird, to be holding another boy’s hand, he thought, but didn’t protest.  The two started to head out of the gym, trailing behind a couple other groups.

    “Oh, yeah,”  Suzuki glanced at the other.  “I almost forgot to tell you. I’m the Ultimate Runner,” he said, then looked away.  “Not that it...matters or anything, I dunno.”

    “No, it’s ok.  It’s nice to know,” Kazuki responded.  “You already know my talent so...anyway, where is the cafeteria?”

    “‘Dunno,” said the runner.  “‘Guess we’ll just have to look for it?”

    “I guess so,” Kazuki said with a nod, rubbing the back of his neck.  His occupied hand was beginning to feel sweaty. 

    "'You think we'll see anymore bodies?"  Suzuki suddenly asked, shuddering at the thought.

    "I hope not," the vet said anxiously.  "I've seen enough for the rest of my life.”  He tried to change the subject. “So, um...everyone else,” he said.  “What are their talents? I know about Hayashi-san and Takenaka-kun’s, and yours, of course, but...no one else’s.”

    “Oh, you want to know?”  Suzuki blinked at him. “Ok, let’s see… Well, Tasca is the Ultimate Cartoonist.  She’s a foreign exchange student, apparently.”

    “Ah, interesting,” Kazuki remarked.  Suzuki simply nodded.

    “Comet is the Ultimate Author...Her real name is Chiyo, but she told us to call her Comet.”

    “Weird,”  the vet said.  “I wonder why.”

    “Maybe she just doesn’t like her real name,” Suzuki offered.  “Anyway, Nakagawa-san is the Ultimate Secretary...Akiyama-san is the Ultimate Dance Teacher...Akira and Arata -- the Miyamoto twins -- are the Ultimate Baker and Gardener.”

    “Which one’s which?”  Kazuki asked, not wanting to mix them up.

    “Akira is the gardener,” Suzuki told him.  “Arata is the baker,” he added. “Mm...Ikeda-san is the Ultimate Carpenter, Oshiro-san is the Ultimate Bombshell…”

    “Ultimate Bombshell?”  Kazuki couldn’t help but smile at the thought of such a strange “talent”.  “That’s one I’ve never heard before.”

    “Yeah, it’s interesting.  She didn’t really want to elaborate on it.”  Suzuki shrugged. “Let’s see, who else… Ah, Motu-kun is the Ultimate Bookworm… Sato-kun is the Ultimate Actor… oh, and Koneko-kun is the Ultimate Violinist.”

    “Everyone has such cool talents,” Kazuki remarked.  “I wish I could’ve gotten to know them outside of...this situation.”

    “Yeah,” Suzuki said.  “Agreed.” He then glanced to the side, eyes lighting up.  “Ah! I think we might be at the cafeteria.”

    Kazuki followed Suzuki’s eyes.  There was a set of clear double doors.  Suzuki pulled Kazuki along with him and opened one of the doors, leading them both inside.  Kazuki had forgotten they were holding hands up until then. 

    They explored the cafeteria.  Nothing seemed particularly off to Kazuki; it was the regular old cafeteria; roomy with a high ceiling, oval shaped tables around the room.  They also had access to the kitchen. Suzuki headed for it first, separating their hands, and Kazuki hurried after him while glancing warily around.  He suddenly felt unsafe, separated from the other.

    Once they were inside the kitchen, Kazuki noticed the excessive amount of food that was scattered everywhere around the room; covering counters, flowing out of the cabinets, in drawers...everywhere.  Fruits, veggies, canned goods, bags of chips; just about everything you could image. While the vet simply looked around, Suzuki began searching the room.

    "Hey!"  The runner cried upon inspecting one of the many refrigerators in the room.  "This place's totally stocked up! At least we won't starve."

    "We could run out if we're here too long," Kazuki told him.  "There 16 of us."

    "Fair point."  The runner deflated slightly, shutting the fridge.  “Hopefully we won’t be, though.”

    "You won't run out!"  Kazuki was so startled by the sound of the teddy bear's voice that he stumbled forward and fell.  Suzuki gasped gasped and ran to his aid. "Whoops!" The bear laughed heartily. "Sorry! Anyway, as I was saying: this place gets restocked constantly!  Starving would be a seriously lame death."

    Kazuki waved Suzuki away as he tried to help him up, flustered and annoyed.  "Yeah, whatever," he muttered. "Just go away."

    "Upupu!  Only because you asked  _ so  _ nicely."  The vet glanced over his shoulder once he was sure the thing had left.

    "Well..."  Suzuki laughed awkwardly.  "That's good. Should we go wait for the others back in the gym, now?"

    "Please," Kazuki quickly replied, standing up and brushing himself off.

    ------

    The 2 boys headed back to the gym and sat on the bleachers together.  They were the first to arrive back. Takenaka and Motu came back second and sat with them.  Everyone else eventually trickled back in and, once they were all together again, they began to share what they'd found.  Kazuki noticed how some looked paler than before.

    "The front entrances and all the windows on the way there were sealed shut, as far as we saw.  No change there," Comet reported.

    "Yeah; some were boarded up from the inside.  We dunno about the door, but it's locked up pretty tight, we're guessin'," Tasca added.  "The police'll definitely be able to get through once they come."

    Takenaka and Motu shared that there were dorm rooms on the first floor, with a single window in each, though they were, in fact, boarded up and impossible to open.  Startlingly, Takenaka told them that there appeared to be small pictures of them on each door, indicating whose was whose, he assumed. Motu said that the second floor flight of stairs was blocked off by steel bars.

    Oshiro and Koneko told them that they'd seen a few corpses, who they assumed to be teachers, in the media room.  Oshiro looked positively horrified. The Miyamoto twins said the same, but about the laundry room, whilst Akira cried.  It was pitiful.

    Hayashi and Akiyama claimed the music room was okay; empty, but clean of blood.  Suzuki and Kazuki shared their own news with everyone, which they were all glad to hear.  Collectively, the rest hadn't seem much. They said mostly the same things: that the entrances and windows all seemed to be blocked off, the rooms were bare, and so on.  It didn't get them very far.

    "Well, regardless of our current situation," Yoshida began once everyone had shared, "I am positive that help will come soon.  If the police can't get in, the government definitely will. Our families will worry, and people will notice something is off. After all, many of us here have fans!"

    "Yes!"  Ikeda piped up.  "We just gotta stay strong and be patient."

    "I agree!"  Sato put in, a hand to his chest and grin on his face.  "This is a minor setback. Think of the stories we'll get to tell after it's over!"

    "We're still trapped here, though.  We don't know what could happen," Suzuki said.  "Or for how long we’ll be here." The runner began to pace back and forth on the gym floor, his shoes squeaking against it.  "We've gotta come up with some sort of rules, or--or plan, or something."

    "Gotcha covered!"  Once again, Kazuki was startled by Monokuma's voice abruptly cutting into their conversation, but luckily he was sitting down that time.

    Monokuma appeared at the podium on the stage again, a collection of rectangular objects in his paws; they were spread out like cards, but looked much thicker.  He hopped off of the stage, walking around to each student in the room and letting them take one from him. The closer he got to the vet, the more he noticed that they resembled phones.  No one was saying anything about them, even those who had already received theirs; they seemed to preoccupied trying to figure it out for themselves.

    When the bear reached him, Kazuki leaned back slightly and reluctantly took 1 of the 2 still left.  He glanced at Takenaka as the acrobat took the last one and then looked back at his own. On what Kazuki assumed was the back side, there was the Hope's Peak Academy symbol.  He flipped it around in his palm and stared at his reflection in the shiny black screen for a mere moment before tapping a small button on the side of the device. It came to life instantly, flashing a clearer image of his own face on the screen before zooming out into a bigger screen.  It looked like an...ID? 

_ Kazuki Ishikawa _ , he read.   _ Height: 5'4".  Blood type: B _ .   _ Likes...Dislikes...Chest size... _ ?  What was this?  As he tapped his was through the device, the vet noticed there were profiles similar to his on everyone else in his class, as well.  Not only that, but there was also a list of what had to be rules.

    "Be sure to read the rules!"  Monokuma announced at that very moment, making Kazuki flinch as he always did.  "You have to follow 'em. If you don't..." He suddenly grew sinister, the white half of his face redding slightly and bearing his claws on one paw.  "I'll be forced to take action, 'cause you'll've ruined the game! And I really don't want to have it ruined, or have to kill anyone outside of Punishment Time!  Like, where’s the fun in that?!"

_ Game _ ?   _ Punishment Time _ ?!  Kazuki swallowed thickly and Monokuma struggled back up onto the stage.

    "Oh, and by the way," he continued once he was back atop the podium, "I finally thought of a perfect motive for your first murder!  Y’all have a couple ‘a days to make friends, and then you’ll get to see just what it is!"

CHAPTER 1: DAILY LIFE

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

END OF INTRODUCTION

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny story: I'm typing this all up at 3 a.m. and I feel like dying. It's not even long. Sorry for this taking like 4 years. I'll try to be more consistent from here on out.
> 
> View the all students' IDs/profiles here (aside from Comet n Tasca):  
> https://givemerockruffs.tumblr.com/post/165524245460/did-all-the-student-ids-for-the-cast-as-well


	4. Sleepless Nights (CHAPTER 1: Deadly Life)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What happened, ya think?" Oshiro asked, voice a whisper.
> 
> "Why would I know?" Rokuru scrunched up his features.
> 
> "I've no idea, either," Sato replied, hand gripping one side of his head and eyes blown wide in disbelief.
> 
> "I bet Monokuma did it," Suzuki spat, and Motu shot him an annoyed look.
> 
> "No way," he said. "One of us did it."

     Rokuru Takenaka woke up before his 2 friends.

     He winced against the hard tiles of the laundry room the instant his brain registered it and pushed himself up, attempting to fix his hair in the process.  When he turned his body slightly, he saw Ishikawa still passed out, flat against his back on the ground and mouth wide open.  Was he asleep, or just unconscious?  Rokuru looked over Hayashi, who was curled up beside the vet, hands folded beneath her cheek.  He smiled slightly and warmly down at them before suddenly remembering the announcement that had come over the intercom who knows how long before.

    _"A body has been discovered!  Now then, after a certain amount of time has passed, the Class Trial will begin!"_  

     Someone _died_?   _A class trial?_  Rokuru couldn't wrap his head around it.

     The blue-haired licked his lips, which were dry and cracked, before taking another glance at his passed out classmates and then heading for the door to the laundry room.  They'd figure things out when they woke up.

     He looked both ways when he left the room, cautiously.  At that moment, he spotted Nakagawa stumbling towards him from the dining hall.  His eyes widened for a moment, but he didn't have time to move out of the way before she ran into him and they both went tumbling to the ground.

     "Ughh..."  Rokuru gripped his head and sat up as the secretary scrambled off of him.  "Watch it!"

     "Sorry, sorry," the secretary said hurriedly, wringing her hands anxiously.  "We-we found--he's dead--"

      The acrobat's eyes widened and he stood up quickly.  "Right!  That!"  He gripped her by the shoulders.  "Where?"

      Nakagawa glanced reluctantly over her shoulder towards the dining hall, and the other rushed off, leaving her there.  He slammed the doors to the cafeteria open and stopped when he looked inside.

     Ikeda, Arata, Akira, Sato, Suzuki, Oshiro, Akiyama, Tasca, Comet, and Motu were inside.  Akira was against the wall beside the entrance, his knees to his chest and crying into them.  Arata was hunched over in a chair at the table closest to him.  Sato, Suzuki and Oshiro were gathered around a table near the back of the room, while Ikeda stood, looking scared, a few feet from it near the door to the kitchen.  Motu stood, arms crossed over his chest, against the far back wall, Tasca and Comet standing close beside him.  Koharu sat at a table next to the three, head in her hands.  There were also a few knocked over potted plants, ceramic pieces splayed around, and a chair knocked over here and there.

     Rokuru hurried further inside, allowing the doors to slam shut behind him.  He shouldered his way in between the three crowded around the back table and was met with a grisly sight.

     

    There was a puddle of  _something_ \-- someone dark purple -- on the table.  In the end chair of the table was Yoshida, keeled over with his face smushed against the surface.  His hair was splayed out all around his face, arms dangling beside him.  There were a few splotches of blood seeping out from under his face, and some dotted his legs and fingers.  The most noticeable part, though, was his stomach, which was positively covered with blood.  The acrobat leaned over slightly to get a better look, and noticed the knife pushed into him.  Rokuru coughed lightly at the sight, gripping his chest.

     "Yoshida-kun?!" 

     "What happened, ya think?"  Oshiro asked, voice a whisper.

     "Why would I know?"  Rokuru scrunched up his features.

     " _I've_ no idea, either," Sato replied, hand gripping one side of his head and eyes blown wide in disbelief.

     "I bet Monokuma did it," Suzuki spat, and Motu shot him an annoyed look.

     "No way," he said.  "One of us did it."

     Everyone in the room suddenly went quiet.  It styed like that for a few moments before Rokuru broke the silence.

     "No way," he declared.  "None of us would up and kill someone just 'cause of a little sleep deprivation."

     "Takenaka-kun, I don't mean to be rude but we were awake for about 3 days straight," Oshiro protested.

     "That still wouldn't drive someone to _kill!"_   the acrobat insisted.

     "Debatable," Arata put in from across the room, staring at the floor grimly.  "Someone weak and shallow would definitely murder for that sake.  It's pitiful."

     They all stared at the body again, no words spoken.  

     "What are we gonna do?"  Tasca spoke up after a few moments.

     "Investigate the body," Comet replied.  "Our lives depend on it."

     "What?"  Suzuki shot her a look.

     "It says in the rules that if we fail to uncover who killed someone, then we all die."

     "It does..."  Rokuru mumbled.  "I didn't think it was _true._ "

     Comet rolled her eyes.  "Then what did you  _think_ it was?"

     "I don't know!"

     "We have to treat everything in this situation with utmost sincerity, no matter how much we want to deny it.  It's not safe otherwise."

     At that moment, the cafeteria doors slammed open again.  Koneko, Nakagawa, Hayashi, and Ishikawa came in.  Hayashi was gripping Ishikawa's hand tightly, Hikaru was paler than ever and Koneko was crying.  All in all, it was an especially weird and out of character sight for all of them.

     "Yoshida-kun is dead?"  Hayashi asked shakily as Koneko and Hikaru went to join the group, while she and Ishikawa stayed by the entrance.

     "Yeah,"  Rokuru replied, throat suddenly painfully dry.  "It's true."

     "Someone killed him?  The ballerina looked a mix of terrified and disappointed.

     "Yes," Comet answered.

     "...This is horrible," Hayashi said, tears beginning to roll down her face.  "Absolutely horrible."  

 

      Monokuma interrupted their mourning.

      "Oh, goodie, goodie!"  He was jumping up and down when he found them.  "A murder!  That happened so fast -- faster than I expected!  Well, I suppose you guys do need your sleep...pretty weak-willed, if you ask me.  Upupupu~"  He laughed to himself.  "'Guess I won't have to prepare another motive for awhile!  Makes my job easier.  Anyway, in this case, you bastard's are gonna need these!"  He handed each of them a pad -- one that looked vaguely similar to their student handbooks.  When Rokuru obtained his, he powered it on and noticed it said "Monokuma File" in red text on the screen.  There was a little pixel drawing of Monokuma's face right below the words.

      "What is this?"

      "It's the Monokuma File!  Basically, it tells ya when, where and how the victim was killed," Monokuma explained, waving a paw back and forth.

      Rolling his eyes at the bear, Rokuru simply replied, "Ah."  Then, the acrobat hummed in thought and began scrolling through the device.  There was a page with a picture of Yoshida on it, covered in pink marks, and some basic information on him.  He kept scrolling to the next page.

      

 _The victim is Hayate Yoshida, the Ultimate Park Ranger,_ he read.   _Victim was discovered in the cafeteria at approximately 2 pm._ _The cause of death is stabbing.  The fatal wound is on his lower abdomen - a deep stab wound.  Additionally, he has a series of bruises and cuts on his arms, chest, face, and side, but they were not fatal.  He also appears to have vomited blood._

     

     So, they started investigating.

      Ishikawa, Hayashi, Akira, Koneko, Akiyama, and Nakagawa stayed outside, insisting there was no way they could inspect a friend's dead body.  Rokuru took the lead in the investigation, and Ikeda, Sato, Tasca, Comet, Suzuki, Motu, and Oshiro eagerly assisted.

     "How did the  _Ultimate Park Ranger_ die?"  Ikeda asked first.

     "Yeah, it's kind of weird.  He's probably stronger than all of us here combined, so it's kind of hard to believe someone got the better of him," Sato agreed.

     "That's true," Rokuru said.  "But really, it doesn't matter.  It happened."  He walked around the table in a circle, examining it.  Clearly, the most obvious thing was the splotch of purple liquid on the table from earlier.  He stared at the dark liquid, noting that some was dried on Yoshida's clothes.  "No one touch that," he told the others and pointed at the substance, as if they had to be told.  "We don't know what it is."

     "Got it," Oshiro replied, while the other two nodded.  

     "There's clearly evidence of a struggle," Ikeda told them, beginning to pace around the room.  "There's a few chairs knocked over and a couple broken plants.  Obviously, the killer and Yoshida-kun fought before he died.  So...they probably killed him as a result of that."

     "Definitely," Rokuru agreed.  "Except...whatever this liquid is is still bothering me.  It could have something to do with it."

     "Maybe it's grape juice," Oshiro offered, helpfully.

     "'More likely poison," Motu interjected.

     "Poison?!"  Oshiro cried.

     "But the Monokuma File said he died from stabbing," Comet put in.

     The other girl looked terrified.  "So the killer stabbed  _and_ poisoned Yoshida-kun?!"

     "No!"  Comet snapped.

     "Maybe they tried to poison 'im," Tasca said thoughtfully.  "But it failed, so they stabbed 'im instead."

     "That's probably the case," Rokuru said with a nod.

     "Yoshida-kun'd never take a drink from someone after he fought 'em," Sato protested.  "He was, like, way too perceptive for that...so he probably just didn't drink it.  Maybe it got knocked over..."

      Comet crossed her arms.  "If so, where's the cup?"  she asked.  "If he was given it as a drink, it would've had to been in something."

     "Okay, okay, let's not worry about it anymore," Rokuru said with a huff.  "I know I brought it up, but if we think about it too much we'll go crazy.  He died from being stabbed."

     Tasca scratched her head.  "Alright," she said, a bit reluctantly.  "Whatever.  Let's keep lookin'."

     "We'll look in the kitchen," Comet said, pulling the artis with her by the wrist.  "The killer might've used a knife from in there."

     "Okay," Rokuru nodded after them, then turned back to the others.  "There doesn't seem to be much more to look at, other than that," he said, glancing at their dead friend.  "Where were you guys at 2pm?"  he asked.

     "Me?"  Sato blinked at him.  "Well, before coming here, I was in the gym with Nakagawa-san and the twins," he explained.  "If you're looking for our alibis, you should ask them, too -- to make sure."

     "Mhm."  The acrobat glanced to Ikeda and Oshiro.  "And you guys?"

     "I was in my dorm room," Oshiro said defensively.  "Of course, you can't really back that up; you're gonna have to take my word for it."

     "I was also in my room," Ikeda told him.

     "Me three,"  Suzuki said.

     "Okay," the acrobat said slowly.  "You all realize that makes you suspicious, right?"

     "What can we do about it?"  Oshiro put her hands up.  "That's where we were.  Suspect us, then."

     "I can't help that.  Practically everyone's suspect, still, even me," Rokuru said.  "But for the record, I was in the laundry room with Hayashi-san and Ishikawa-kun.  They both know that,"  he explained.

     The others looked at him a bit pointedly, but he only rolled his eyes before dropping the subject and heading for the kitchen entrance, where he called to Comet and Tasca, who were inside.  "Comet, Tasca," he said.  "Where were the both of you at 2pm?"

     "We were both at my dorm," Comet replied with no hesitance.  She was standing on the far side of the kitchen, looking intently at something.  Meanwhile, Tasca was looking through drawers and examining whatever was inside.  "We figured out the 'announcements' weren't as loud in there.  Also, you might want to come in here," she added, waving him in.  

     "What is it?"  Rokuru hurried in immediately, but stopped in his tracks upon looking at the ground.   With a horrified noise escaping his throat, he stared at the blood splotches on the floor.  "Did you see this?!"

     "Yes, of course I did," Comet sighed.  "The blood.  So Yoshida-kun got stabbed in here, but probably limped out there with the last of his strength and sat down," she said for him.  "Further evidence--"  she stepped to the side, revealing an array of knives hanging on the wall.  The largest one seemed to be missing, as it's slot was empty.  "they probably ran in here while fighting, and this's where the culprit grabbed the knife and stabbed him."

     "Just lovely."  Rokuru huffed, running a hang through his hair, the turning to he was no longer facing the wall.  "We'd better go...gather the others.  Uh, when you're done just come out to the hallway," he said.

     "Sure," Comet nodded, and Rokuru left.

     "We should go gather the others, now," the acrobat told the group, and then headed for the cafeteria entrance.  "Come on."  The others followed him.

     When Rokuru opened the doors, he was met with the rest of the students.  Ishikawa had his knees to his chest and his face was pressed into them.  Hayashi leaned against him, looking like she was on the verge of tears.  Koneko and Akira  ~~~~ _were_ crying, while Arata, Nakagawa and Akiyama attempted to calm them down.

     "How are we supposed to figure this out?"  Hayashi asked before Rokuru could say anything.  "That bear said we...have to expose the killer."  She glanced to the side and squeezed her eyes shut.  "How are we supposed to do that?  We have no idea,  no leads--"

     "Don't worry about it now."  Rokuru sighed, clenching his fists.  "For now we just have to...consider what we know and wait."

      As if on cue, a bell sounded over the intercom.  Rokuru turned his direction towards the closest monitor, and Monokuma appeared, seated at a huge desk, an array of video footage on a wall behind him.  The bear's voice filled their ears.  

     "Tiiiiime's up!"  He cried, punching the air with a paw and jumping from his chair onto the desk.  "Everyone, please make your way to that big red door you all have been eyeing since you got here!  It's by the gym!  I await your arrival~"

  

 

 

 

15 remaining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter: class trial
> 
> these will get longer, i promise (sweats)


End file.
